


Five Times Odin Should Have Told Loki No (And One Time He Shouldn't Have Had To)

by chordatesrock



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Odin is actually a perfect parent and never screws up, Family Fluff, Fix-It, Fluff, Gen, Gift Fic, Healthy Relationships, I admit I didn't even edit this I make good life choices yes I do, Id Fic, Odin's literal non-sarcastic A+ parenting, aiming to push some very specific buttons not to be technically skillful, not sure if the Odin's Good Parenting tag is sarcastic or not, this fic might not be to everyone's taste, this is really more for the idtastic fluffiness notsomuch for the tight plotting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-14
Updated: 2014-12-14
Packaged: 2018-03-01 11:01:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2770622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chordatesrock/pseuds/chordatesrock
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The AU where Odin is a non-sucky parent and Loki grows up to be a little less screwed up, and a little less screwed up can go a long way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Five Times Odin Should Have Told Loki No (And One Time He Shouldn't Have Had To)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [anaraine](https://archiveofourown.org/users/anaraine/gifts).



_One_

"...and Thor and I will kill them all," says Loki.

Odin shakes his head. "Even if you could, it would be a great loss. Jotunheim matters to the balance of the Nine Realms, and so do its people."

Loki frowns in confusion. "Then why did you fight them?"

"Come here," says Odin. "Sit. This will be long."

And he tells the story as he would tell it to an adult who understood politics, not to a child seeking a hero to look up to.

 

_Two_

"It's true: you will probably never be as strong as Thor. But the realm does not need you to be its finest warrior. You will direct its fines warriors to those places where they can do the most good. One day, you will govern a realm and maintain the peace that allows farmers to feed the warriors, and smiths to arm them."

Loki looks up at him with naked hope for just a moment. Then his smile turns sly. "Can I skip training?"

"No, Loki," says Odin, but he smiles back. "You do not need to be the realm's best warrior, but you must be able to hold your own in battle. So go and train now."

 

_Three_

"No, Loki," says Odin. "They are not monsters. Some are cruel, greedy and vain, but so are some in Asgard. Others may love their own families. They have their own strength and their own culture, and you must never underestimate Jotunheim."

"I've never heard of any Jotun doing anything but killing people," says Loki.

"Because our warriors meet them only in battle. Do not doubt that they tell the same stories about us as we do them."

Loki still looks skeptical.

"Did you know that your grandmother Bestla was from Jotunheim? It was her shapeshifting that allowed her to hide it, but she was Jotun, born and raised. I am half Jotun. No child of mine has less than one Jotun grandparent."

Loki looks shocked.

"Now, I am very busy, so we'll talk later," says Odin. But he ruffles Loki's hair before he takes his leave.

 

_Four_

"They are wrong. They fear your power and they fear you because you do not fit neatly in the little boxes into which they would try to put all the world. I was much the same at your age; perhaps, with time, you will find a way to appear to fit, as I did. Or else you will walk a hard and lonely road. But never think there is anything wrong with you for it."

The smile Loki offers Odin is fierce, and has an echo of Thor's battle-lust in it.

"Don't kill them all or Asgard will be left half empty," says Odin, because he knows Loki too well by now.

 

_Five_

"You may not say such things to visiting nobility."

"It was only the truth," says Loki. "They aren't really her parents. She has brown eyes and both of them have blue."

"She is adopted," says Odin. "I know. And now she will know as well. But think, Loki: to whom did she take her first steps? Who heard her first words? Who has seen to her education? To whose house is she heir?" There's a pause. Loki doesn't speak up. "She is their daughter. Truly, Loki."

"Well, they should tell her the truth, then."

Odin is brought up short. There's a pause. Then he says, "There are many reasons they might have kept it from her. I can't know why they would. If it were me, I wouldn't want her to doubt for a moment whose child she was, by greater ties than blood. Be that as it may: you will apologize to her before the delegation leaves."

Loki doesn't argue.

 

_Plus one_

"I am very displeased with both of you," says Odin. That he's still acting calm is a miracle. "You, Loki: where should I start? You showed the frost giants the way into Asgard and you did not see to it that the witnesses were killed."

"They don't know it was me."

"Silence!" Odin's veneer of calm shatters. "They saw what you are when you went with Thor. It will not take them long to guess, if they haven't already. That is not to mention your actions toward Heimdall and other loyal citizens. As difficult as it may be for you to win people over, your actions still make a difference. You will need to repair your relationship with Heimdall immediately. If you do not have his loyalty, you will never hold Asgard. You may never hold Asgard even so."

Done with Loki for the moment, he turns on Thor.

"And you! As glad as we all are that you have proven yourself worthy to return to Asgard, you told me yourself that you came back because Loki lied to you about me. You did not know what Loki had done to alienate the people of Asgard. You did not know what had transpired between him and Heimdall. You knew only that he had lied to you, and you came here ready to unseat the acting King of Asgard. Then you brawled with him in public. I am disappointed in both of you and we are not done talking about this."

He sighs and looks from one to the other. Thor and Loki are both solemn, and both quiet.

"Neither of you is fit to rule yet. The best that can be said of all this is that you're both alive." There's a pause, and then he adds, "Don't think I'm not glad of that, but I expect better from the King of Asgard."

They're alive and Asgard is intact, and they're home, and somehow things got so bad that this is still a relief. Even if Thor and Loki are both going to spend the next century fixing the mess they've created.


End file.
